Pocket configuration for storage on athletic equipment

ABSTRACT

A glove includes a pocket configuration or strip of material that allows a mouth guard or other items to be held in the pocket. The pocket includes a bottom section on the palm side of the glove and a top pocket section that is lifted to accommodate the mouth guard. A pocket binding opening is lifted by a pocket tab to open the pocket. The pocket also includes a banding strip positioned to maximize area on the back side of the glove without compromising flexibility.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a storage pocket configured on athleticequipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a storagepocket having a configuration to allow the placement of a mouth guardinto the pocket.

DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART

Athletes and sports participants increasingly use mouth guards toprotect teeth as well as dental or orthodontic work, such as braces,from harm during sports activities. In many cases, mouth guards arerequired in order to participate in the sport, such as martial arts,football or lacrosse. A user places the mouth guard over their teethwhile playing and removes the mouth guard when not.

Most players hold their mouth guards when not in use, or place them in aclothing pocket or other equipment, such as a helmet. For example,football players sometimes place their mouth guards in the mask on theirhelmet. This causes the mouth guard to get dirty or lost. If the playerwears gloves, then they may try to keep the mouth guard clean andaccessibility becomes problematic.

Lost mouth guards result in players not being able to play, possibleinjury and costs. Many mouth guards today are custom-made to fit bracesand other orthodontic work. Unlike conventional mouth guards, thesemouth guards may be expensive, therefore making constant replacementcost-prohibitive. Further, should a player lose their mouth guard andcontinue playing, the result may be an injury incurring thousands ofdollars of dental work.

A holder or container on the glove would be uncomfortable or get in theway of play during games. Another issue with storing a mouth guard, anypiece of equipment or athletic gear is space. Enough area should beavailable to secure and enclose the mouth guard on smaller sizedequipment. Because mouth guards are used extensively in youth sports,these sizes should be able to accommodate them without being undulybulky.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a mouth guard pocket configuration on anathletic glove, or other equipment, that holds the mouth guard securely,yet allowing access when needed. The pocket configuration does not snagor catch onto other items during play. The disclosed configuration alsodoes not require a large surface area on the glove to hold the mouthguard.

The pocket configuration may use a mesh material having holes to allowair to access the inside of the pocket. The mouth guard, or any storeditem, may have access to air to vent. Moreover, the mouth guard orinside of the pocket does not build up dirt or water during wetconditions. If the mouth guard is cleaned, then it may dry off while inthe pocket.

Other embodiments include other configurations to secure a mouth guardonto athletic equipment. For example, an elastic banding or binding maybe used in place of a pocket configuration. Further, the pocketconfiguration may include a large band to attach the mouth guard.

According to the preferred embodiments, a glove is disclosed. The gloveincludes a back side having a midsection and a bottom section. The glovealso includes a pocket including a top pocket section attached to thebottom section. The glove also includes a banding strip to attach thetop pocket section to the bottom section and attached to the midsection.The glove also includes a pocket binding opening extending from asection of the back side adjacent a thumb portion to a wrist cuff. Thepocket binding opening is configured to open and to secure the pocket.

Further according to the preferred embodiments, a pocket configurationon a glove is disclosed. The pocket configuration includes a bottomsection of the glove. The pocket configuration also includes a toppocket section comprised of mesh material. The pocket configuration alsoincludes a banding strip to attach the top pocket section to the bottomsection, which extends across a back side of the glove. The pocketconfiguration also includes a pocket binding opening coupled to thebanding strip and wrist cuff, and comprised of nylon lycra. The pocketbinding opening is configured to open and to close the pocketconfiguration.

Further according to the preferred embodiments, an athletic equipmentitem. The athletic equipment item includes a bottom section opposite aside in contact with a user. The athletic equipment item also includes abanding strip attached to the bottom section. The athletic equipmentitem also includes a pocket binding opening attached to the bottomsection. The pocket binding opening is detachable from the bottomsection. The athletic equipment item also includes a securing means forsecuring the item to the user in contact with the bottom section and thepocket top section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide further understandingof the invention and constitute a part of the specification. Thedrawings listed below illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention, as disclosed by the claims and their equivalents.

FIG. 1 illustrates a glove having a pocket configuration according tothe disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a glove having a pocket holding a mouth guardaccording to the disclosed embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the accompanying description.Alternate embodiments of the present invention and their equivalents aredevised without parting from the spirit or scope of the presentinvention. It should be noted that like elements disclosed below areindicated by like reference numbers in the drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts a glove 100 having a pocket configuration for holding amouth guard according to the disclosed embodiments. FIG. 1 shows twosides for glove 100, back side 102 and front side, or palm side, 104.Palm side 104 refers to the side of glove 100 receives the palm of auser. Glove 100 also includes a pocket 101 comprised of top pocketsection 114, part of bottom section 112, banding strip 132 and pocketbinding opening 130.

Glove 100 may be an athletic glove used in sports and activities. Forexample, glove 100 may be a lacrosse glove, or, more particularly agirl's lacrosse glove. Female lacrosse players use mouth guards forprotection. Alternatively, glove 100 may be used in field hockey aswell. Glove 100 also may be a football glove for use by boys or men.Glove 100 also may be a batting glove for baseball or softball. Glove100 also may hold other athletic equipment instead of a mouth guard,such as a first aid items, whistle, stopwatch and the like.

Glove 100 also may be a work or utility glove used for holding variousitems similar to a mouth guard. In other embodiments, glove 100 may beused to hold an electronic device or phone. Pedometers, counters, andthe like may be used in conjunction with glove 100.

Back side 102 of glove 100 includes midsection 106. Midsection 106covers the knuckles of the hand of a user. Midsection 106 may be a panelcomprised of neoprene or airprene. Midsection 106 may be molded of thismaterial with indentations to allow flexibility while using glove 100.Midsection 106 also includes knuckle pads 106 a to cushion the knucklesof the user. Knuckle pads 106 a may include foam cushions secured intomidsection 106. Midsection 106 protects the midsection of the hand ofthe user. Parts of midsection 106 may extend into fingertips portions110.

Glove 100 also includes nylon lycra inserts 108 to provide a border formidsection 106 and other portions of glove 100. Nylon lycra inserts 108may have a width of about 3 to 4 millimeters exposed on glove 100.

Finger portions 110 comprise the tips of glove 100 to cover the fingersof the user. Finger portions 110 are made of different material thanmidsection 106 to provide greater flexibility and comfort to the user.Finger portions 110, for example, may be air mesh material and coupledto nylon lycra inserts 108. Air mesh material, or other similarmaterials, allows unrestricted air flow through its portions of glove100. The holes in finger portions 110 may be larger than materials inother parts of glove 100 to allow the air flow and ease of flexibility.Borders 111 may line finger portions 110 with power mesh to providestability and stretchability between fingers.

Bottom section 112 of glove 100, also known as an under panel, may becomprised of corded nylon material. Bottom section 112 is attached tothe bottom of midsection 106 to cover the lower part of the hand of theuser towards the wrist. The corded nylon is not as flexible orstretchable as finger portions 110 but provides more stability andsecurity for glove 100. Bottom section 112 also prevents a mouth guardor other object from contacting the skin of the hand.

Top pocket section 114 resides over a portion of bottom section 112 andis the top portion of pocket 101. Top pocket section 114 may becomprised of power mesh material. Power mesh material, or any otherapplicable small mesh material, provides a woven material having mediumwith a four way stretch capability. Top pocket section 114 is expandableto secure a mouth guard without being stretched out of shape.

Top pocket section 114 is coupled, attached or stitched into bottomsection 112 with banding strip 132. Banding strip 132 may have twolengths, A and B. Preferably, banding strip 132 is not straight acrossbottom section 112, but at angles away from knuckle pads 106 a. Theangled configuration allows for greater use of the area of bottomportion 112 and a larger top pocket section 114. Further, midsection 106may provide greater protection to the knuckles of the index and middlefingers.

Preferably, length B is longer than length A. Length B may extend frombelow the knuckle of the “ring” finger to thumb arch section 122. LengthA may extend away from length B from below the knuckle of the ringfinger to the pinky side of glove 100. Length A may not extend at thesame angle as length, or, alternatively, lengths A and B may extend atapproximately the same angle. Banding strip 132 forms at least two sidesof pocket 101. Preferably, lengths A and B may form a “V” configurationfor pocket 101. Alternatively, lengths A and B may form a “U” shape.

Pocket 101 also includes pocket binding opening 130. Pocket bindingopening 130 may be comprised of nylon lycra and use a stretch stitch orstretch zigzag stitch to allow ease of access to pocket 101. Pocketbinding opening 130 is not secured or stitched into bottom section 112.Using pocket tab 126, the user may pull pocket binding opening 130 toinsert the mouth guard or remove it. Pocket tab 126 may be comprised ofsueded palm material, which is more durable than mesh materials. Pockettab 126 also may include a team logo, trademark, user's name, team name,symbol and the like.

Palm side 104 includes palm section 116 that covers most of the palm ofthe hand. Palm section 116 may be comprised of sueded palm material toprovide extra durability while in contact with athletic equipment, suchas lacrosse sticks or footballs. Palm section 116 may not fully coverthe thumb on the palm side.

Palm insert section 118 is located in the center of glove 100 to providea vent capability. Palm insert section 118 may be comprised of powermesh material, or other stretchable material, to provide flexibility inusing glove 100 as the palm side extends and contracts. Palm insertsection 118 may be stitched into palm section 116. Palm insert section118 may be any shape applicable to glove 100.

Other components of glove 100 include thumb arch section 122 that coversthe “arch” or portion of the hand between the index finger and thethumb. Thumb arch section 122 may be comprised of suede palm material.Thumb section 124 may cover the outside of the thumb, and is coupledwith thumb arch section 122. Thumb section 124 may be comprised of terrycloth, or other soft, material that is dryable. The soft material allowsthe user to wipe away sweat or other bodily fluids during competition.It also provides some flexibility for the thumb and thumbnail as thehand opens and closes.

Glove 100 also includes sections to secure itself at the wrist of theuser. Wrist closure cuff 120 is located at the bottom of glove 100,preferably below the ball of the thumb. Wrist closure cuff 120 may becomprised of airprene for improved durability and to secure glove 100without being uncomfortable. Closing portion 128 may be enclosed bywrist closure cuff 120 and adjustable to insert or remove the hand.Closing portion 128 may be comprised of airprene on its outer side, butincludes Velcro™ or similar material to attach itself to wrist closurecuff 120.

Wrist closure cuff 120 is located on palm side 104 to allow for greaterarea or room for pocket 101. Known gloves usually have cuffs on the backside of the glove.

FIG. 2 depicts glove 100 with a mouth guard 200 in pocket 101 accordingto the disclosed embodiments. FIG. 2 shows back side 102 with thecomponents of glove 100 disclosed above. In addition, border portion 202is shown, which may be a portion of palm section 116 stitched, attachedor coupled to bottom section 112. Thumb stitching 204 also is shown todenote a break in the fabric or material to allow thumb movement.

Mouth guard 200 is shown being held in pocket 101 according to thedisclosed embodiments. Pocket binding opening 130 is lifted off bottomsection 112 by pocket tab 126. Part or all of mouth guard 200 is placedwithin pocket 101. Having part of mouth guard 200 sticking out may alloweasy retrieval.

Pocket tab 126 allows the user to pull pocket binding opening 130without the need to take off the gloves and, preferably, with one hand.Pocket binding opening 130 stretches to allow insertion of mouth guard200, then retracts to hold it in place or close pocket 101. Pocket 101may be closed partially.

Thus, a pocket configuration for a glove is disclosed that allows a userto insert a mouth guard or other item for quick retrieval. Glove 100 isshown as a left-handed glove, but may be a right-handed glove. Moreover,gloves for both hands may include a pocket 101.

In an alternative embodiment, the pocket configuration may be replacedwith a wide band for pocket binding opening 130. The band may include awidth between about 0.25 inches to 0.5 inches. Mouth guard 200 may beplaced into the band and held in place. The band also may include pockettab 126. Top pocket section 114 may be removed as well, but bandingstrip 132 is still in place.

The disclosed embodiments also may include use of the disclosed pocketconfiguration on other athletic equipment, such as shooting sleeves,martial arts gear, and the like. Preferably, these configurationsinclude corded nylon or other such material on the bottom with powermesh and banding strips to form pocket 101.

On a shooting sleeve for basketball, a pocket configuration may beformed so as to fit mouth guard 200. Pocket 101 may be on the inside orthe outside of the forearm on the sleeve of the user. Pocket bindingopening 130 may be facing the elbow. Thus, mouth guard 200 may beinserted into pocket 101 so as to not face outwards from the user.Instead of midsection 106 like glove 100, the shooting sleeve would havea molded panel in the elbow area of the user.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the disclosed glove andequipment configurations without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention coversthe modifications and variations of the embodiments disclosed aboveprovided that the modifications and variations come within the scope ofany claims and their equivalents.

1. A glove comprising: a back side having a midsection and a bottomsection; a pocket including a top pocket section attached to the bottomsection; a banding strip to attach the top pocket section to the bottomsection and attached to the midsection; and a pocket binding openingextending from a section of the back side adjacent a thumb portion to awrist cuff, wherein the pocket binding opening is configured to open andto close the pocket.
 2. The glove of claim 1, wherein the banding stripincludes at least two lengths, wherein the lengths extend away from themidsection at angles.
 3. The glove of claim 2, wherein the at least twolengths include different lengths.
 4. The glove of claim 2, furthercomprising a pocket tab on the pocket binding opening.
 5. The glove ofclaim 1, wherein the bottom section is comprised of corded nylon.
 6. Theglove of claim 1, wherein the top pocket section is comprised of powermesh material.
 7. The glove of claim 1, further comprising a thumbsection comprised of terry cloth.
 8. The glove of claim 1, furthercomprising a closing portion of the wrist cuff located on a palm side ofthe glove.
 9. A pocket configuration on a glove, the configurationcomprising: a bottom section of the glove; a top pocket sectioncomprised of mesh material; a banding strip to attach the top pocketsection to the bottom section, which extends across a back side of theglove; and a pocket binding opening coupled to the banding strip andwrist cuff, and comprised of nylon lycra, wherein the pocket bindingopening is configured to open and to close the pocket configuration. 10.The pocket configuration of claim 9, wherein the banding strip and thepocket binding opening extend from a thumb arch section.
 11. The pocketconfiguration of claim 9, wherein the bottom section is comprised ofcorded nylon.
 12. The pocket configuration of claim 9, wherein thebanding strip borders a midsection panel.
 13. The pocket configurationof claim 9, further comprising a soft fabric section extending away fromthe pocket binding opening.
 14. An athletic equipment item comprising: abottom section opposite a side in contact with a user; a banding stripattached to the bottom section; a pocket binding opening attached to thebottom section, wherein the pocket binding opening is detachable fromthe bottom section; and a securing means for securing the item to theuser in contact with the bottom section and the pocket top section. 15.The athletic equipment item of claim 14, further comprising a top pocketsection attached to the banding strip.
 16. The athletic equipment itemof claim 14, wherein the athletic equipment item is a glove.
 17. Theathletic equipment item of claim 14, wherein the pocket binding openingis comprised of elastic material.
 18. The athletic equipment item ofclaim 14, further comprising a soft cloth section attached to the bottomsection.
 19. The athletic equipment item of claim 14, wherein thebanding strip comprises at least two lengths of unequal length thatextend into the bottom section.
 20. The athletic equipment item of claim19, wherein the at least two lengths extend at an angle into the bottomsection.